Ron Elvinghttp://krwg.org
en5 Things You Should Know About Lincoln Chafeehttp://krwg.org/post/5-things-you-should-know-about-lincoln-chafee
<strong>This post was updated at 5:45 p.m. E.T.</strong><p>Although not nearly so crowded as its Republican counterpart, the Democratic field of presidential contenders is growing. On Wednesday, Lincoln Chafee, a former senator and governor of Rhode Island, became the fourth major politician to enter the White House chase as a Democrat.<p>For those who do remember Chafee's career, his entry as a Democrat may be at least a slight surprise. His father, John, was a Republican governor and senator and secretary of the Navy under President Richard Nixon.Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:37:00 +0000Ron Elving91739 at http://krwg.org5 Things You Should Know About Lincoln Chafee5 Things You Should Know About George Patakihttp://krwg.org/post/5-things-you-should-know-about-george-pataki
<strong>This post has been updated to reflect that Pataki is officially running.</strong><p>George Pataki announced his presidential candidacy in Exeter, N.H., on Thursday. He's the eighth official Republican entrant in the 2016 race for the White House. The field is expected to double over the next couple of months. Pataki has made numerous visits and a few friends in recent months in the Granite State, home of the first primary in 2016.Thu, 28 May 2015 13:09:00 +0000Ron Elving91379 at http://krwg.org5 Things You Should Know About George PatakiTest Of '1 Person, 1 Vote' Heads To The Supreme Courthttp://krwg.org/post/test-1-person-1-vote-heads-supreme-court
When the Supreme Court returns for its next term in October, among the cases it has agreed to hear is a challenge to a fundamental practice that has governed American elections for generations.<p>When public-policy makers talk about a state's population, they generally mean the number of human beings living in that state — as counted or estimated by the U.S.Tue, 26 May 2015 23:20:00 +0000Ron Elving91266 at http://krwg.orgTest Of '1 Person, 1 Vote' Heads To The Supreme CourtWhen Is A Filibuster Not Really a Filibuster? When It Looks Like A Filibusterhttp://krwg.org/post/when-filibuster-not-really-filibuster-when-it-looks-filibuster
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican, held the floor of the Senate for 10 1/2 hours Wednesday afternoon and evening, airing his objections to the NSA bulk collection of telephone records in the U.S.<p>Many of the accounts of this lengthy performance referred to it as a filibuster, or a near-filibuster, or some kind of filibuster or other.<p>It was none of the above.<p>In the contemporary world of the Senate, the kind of filibusters you can see are extremely rare. But the kind of filibusters you can't see happen all the time.Thu, 21 May 2015 18:08:00 +0000Ron Elving90959 at http://krwg.orgWhen Is A Filibuster Not Really a Filibuster? When It Looks Like A FilibusterWho Is Clinton Confidant Sidney Blumenthal?http://krwg.org/post/who-clinton-confidant-sidney-blumenthal
Before there was George, there was Sid.<p>George Stephanopoulos is, of course, the ABC news anchor whose <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/14/406855525/stephanopoulos-apologizes-for-not-disclosing-donations-to-clinton-foundation" target="_blank">$75,000 in donations</a> to the Clinton foundation have reminded the world of his longtime ties to Bill Clinton, for whom he worked from 1991 to 1997.<p>But before Stephanopoulos had entered the picture, another journalist with an activist history, Sidney Blumenthal, had already established himself as an admirer of Bill Clinton anWed, 20 May 2015 17:42:00 +0000Ron Elving90873 at http://krwg.orgWho Is Clinton Confidant Sidney Blumenthal?Remembering A Former House Speaker Whose Fall Signaled New Era Of Polarizationhttp://krwg.org/post/remembering-rep-jim-wright-who-ruled-house-fell-hard
Jim Wright occupies a kind of shadow territory in Washington memory. He rose to be speaker of the House, arguably the second most powerful job in the country. For a season he challenged the authority of the president on foreign policy.Wed, 06 May 2015 21:42:00 +0000Ron Elving89983 at http://krwg.orgRemembering A Former House Speaker Whose Fall Signaled New Era Of PolarizationHow The Vietnam War Put Picking Presidents In The Hands Of The Peoplehttp://krwg.org/post/how-vietnam-put-picking-presidents-hands-people
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyhAcp2DG4</p>Fri, 01 May 2015 14:14:00 +0000Ron Elving89638 at http://krwg.orgHow The Vietnam War Put Picking Presidents In The Hands Of The PeopleHas The Senate Found It's More Fun To Be Functional?http://krwg.org/post/has-senate-found-its-more-fun-be-functional
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/23/395597966/senate-confirms-loretta-lynch-as-attorney-general" target="_blank">Loretta Lynch's confirmation as Attorney General</a> was not the only sign of a spring thaw in the Senate this week: Senators also <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/04/22/401548310/senate-oks-human-trafficking-bill-paving-way-for-attorney-general-vote" target="_blank">voted for a crackdown on human trafficking</a>, while green shoots of compromise seemed to sprout on other contentious issues, both foreign and domestic.<p>To be sure, both the LFri, 24 Apr 2015 07:54:00 +0000Ron Elving89173 at http://krwg.orgHas The Senate Found It's More Fun To Be Functional?'Hillary Clinton' Is Back, But Will There Be A Return Of The Rodham?http://krwg.org/post/hillary-clinton-back-will-there-be-return-rodham
When the former senator, secretary of state and first lady announced for president on Sunday she smiled into the camera and said, "I'm Hillary Clinton."<p>Those who were hoping for a return of Hillary's family name, "Rodham," as part of her public identity might have felt some disappointment. For many of her admirers, Hillary <em>Rodham</em> Clinton was the embodiment of aspiration for a woman in public life. This was the woman they wanted to elevate to the White House in her own right.<p>When she just went by "Hillary" alone, it had a species of charm.Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:03:00 +0000Ron Elving88428 at http://krwg.org'Hillary Clinton' Is Back, But Will There Be A Return Of The Rodham?How Senate Democrats Will Choose Their Next Leaderhttp://krwg.org/post/how-senate-democrats-will-choose-their-next-leader
When word came of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's decision to retire, various observers and Democratic constituencies quickly emerged with their choices for his successor as the party's Senate leader.<p>There were those who touted Patty Murray of Washington, the proven problem-solver and veteran legislator who has worked her way up the ladder of Senate succession.Fri, 27 Mar 2015 19:01:56 +0000Ron Elving87368 at http://krwg.orgHow Senate Democrats Will Choose Their Next LeaderAmazingly, Congress Actually Got Something Donehttp://krwg.org/post/amazingly-congress-actually-got-something-done
They said it couldn't be done. And for more than a decade they were right.<p>But on Thursday, staring at a deadline that could have disrupted health care to millions of seniors, the House got something done.<p>It voted to fix the flawed formula for compensating doctors who provide services to patients under Medicare. But this time it wasn't just a patch for a few months or years — like the ones Congress has done 17 times since 2003.<p>This time it was permanent, if the Senate gets on board in a timely manner.Thu, 26 Mar 2015 22:58:00 +0000Ron Elving87315 at http://krwg.orgAmazingly, Congress Actually Got Something DoneWith Sen. Dan Coats' Retirement, One More Gone From The Old Schoolhttp://krwg.org/post/sen-dan-coats-retirement-one-more-gone-old-school
Senate Republican Dan Coats of Indiana announced Tuesday — probably surprising no one — that he would not seek another term in 2016.Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:21:00 +0000Ron Elving87200 at http://krwg.orgWith Sen. Dan Coats' Retirement, One More Gone From The Old School5 Reasons Cruz Announced His Candidacy Earlyhttp://krwg.org/post/5-reasons-cruz-announced-his-candidacy-early
Texas Sen.Mon, 23 Mar 2015 09:03:00 +0000Ron Elving87042 at http://krwg.org5 Reasons Cruz Announced His Candidacy EarlyA First For Joe: Biden Could Break Tie To Confirm Attorney Generalhttp://krwg.org/post/first-joe-biden-could-break-tie-attorney-general
Vice President Joe Biden has been more visible than almost any of his 46 predecessors in the nation's No. 2 office. He's had more access to the Oval Office and more input on policy than all but a handful.<p>But there is one VP duty Biden has never fulfilled, because he's never had a chance: He has never broken a tie in the Senate, which is a salient VP responsibility embedded in the Constitution. In these past six years and two months, there hasn't been a Senate tie to break.<p>That may be about to change. Loretta Lynch's nomination to be U.S.Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:03:00 +0000Ron Elving86814 at http://krwg.orgA First For Joe: Biden Could Break Tie To Confirm Attorney GeneralWild Day In Madison Likely To Be Another Win For Gov. Walkerhttp://krwg.org/post/wild-day-madison-likely-be-another-win-gov-walker
You could scarcely imagine a day that better demonstrated the split personality of Wisconsin politics.<p>On Monday, the state Capitol building in Madison was flooded once again with an angry crowd of protesters.Tue, 10 Mar 2015 15:01:00 +0000Ron Elving86205 at http://krwg.orgWild Day In Madison Likely To Be Another Win For Gov. WalkerFailed Keystone Veto Override Marks Another Win For Veto Penhttp://krwg.org/post/failed-keystone-veto-override-marks-another-win-veto-pen
Congress mustered big majorities for the Keystone XL, which you might think would mean that pipeline would soon be under construction to carry Canadian crude oil from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico.<p>But you would be forgetting the presidential veto, which President Obama signed on Feb. 24 with little or no fanfare.<p>Wednesday, the Senate put an end to years of legislative effort by upholding the Obama veto.Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:21:00 +0000Ron Elving85848 at http://krwg.orgFailed Keystone Veto Override Marks Another Win For Veto PenWhy Congress Doesn't Really Worry About What Most Americans Think http://krwg.org/post/why-congress-doesnt-really-worry-about-what-most-americans-think
With each week, we have come to expect another jarring outrage from the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, the new breed of terrorists that is redefining terror.<p>News of the group's <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/02/17/386986424/isis-beheadings-in-libya-devastate-an-egyptian-village" target="_blank">murder</a><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/02/17/386986424/isis-beheadings-in-libya-devastate-an-egyptian-village" target="_blank"> of nearly two dozen Egyptian Christians</a><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/02/17/386986424Wed, 18 Feb 2015 15:01:00 +0000Ron Elving84856 at http://krwg.orgWhy Congress Doesn't Really Worry About What Most Americans Think Why Convention Sites Don't Make Very Good Swing State Strategyhttp://krwg.org/post/why-convention-sites-dont-make-very-good-swing-state-strategy
Put it in the category of things we know for sure that just ain't so.<p>No sooner did the Democratic National Committee announce it had chosen Philadelphia, Pa., as its 2016 convention site than a lot of us political analyst types popped out the conventional wisdom about "appealing to a swing state in the general election."<p>It sounds good and it makes sense, as far as it goes. It just doesn't go very far.<p>Sure, it ought to help the Democrats to have their convention in a state that they absolutely have to win in November.Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:39:00 +0000Ron Elving84553 at http://krwg.orgWhy Convention Sites Don't Make Very Good Swing State StrategyIn White House Memory, A-U-M-F Translates To B-U-S-Hhttp://krwg.org/post/white-house-memory-u-m-f-translates-b-u-s-h
<strong>Update: 9:30 a.m.Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:13:00 +0000Ron Elving84284 at http://krwg.orgIn White House Memory, A-U-M-F Translates To B-U-S-HLife In The 'New' Washington: In Your Face! No, In YOUR Face!http://krwg.org/post/life-new-washington-your-face-no-your-face
President Obama entertained a group of Americans on Tuesday in the intimate Roosevelt Room at the White House, thanking them for their written testimonials to the benefits of his Affordable Care Act. A few hours later, the House of Representatives <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/03/383621170/house-votes-to-repeal-affordable-care-act" target="_blank">voted to repeal</a> the ACA in its entirety.<p>Nothing will change as a result of either event. But this was no mere coincidence of timing.Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:35:00 +0000Ron Elving83795 at http://krwg.orgLife In The 'New' Washington: In Your Face! No, In YOUR Face!Abortion Vote Shows How Much Democrats' World Has Changedhttp://krwg.org/post/abortion-vote-shows-how-much-democrats-world-has-changed
This week, Congress returns with House leaders vowing to revisit the anti-abortion bill they pulled off the floor last week. The ban on abortions after 20 weeks was withdrawn when it appeared there weren't enough Republican votes to pass it.<p>Why did it need quite so many Republican votes? Because the GOP can no longer count on a contingent of Democrats to help out on abortion-related votes.<p>That was obvious last week, on Thursday, when the leaders brought out a backup bill relating to federal funding for abortion (which is already illegal).Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:57:00 +0000Ron Elving83215 at http://krwg.orgAbortion Vote Shows How Much Democrats' World Has ChangedSenate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our Faulthttp://krwg.org/post/senate-says-climate-change-real-not-really-our-fault
Breathtakingly broad as its jurisdiction may be, the U.S. Senate does not usually vote on the validity of scientific theories.<p>This week, it did. And science won. The Senate voted that climate change is real, and not a hoax. The vote was 98-1.<p>The vote was about an amendment to the bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline. The near-unanimity of the climate change judgment was notable, because so many senators have cast doubt on ideas of "global warming."<p>Republican Sen.Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:06:00 +0000Ron Elving83054 at http://krwg.orgSenate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our FaultObama State Of The Union Seeks To 'Turn The Page' To A Brighter Chapterhttp://krwg.org/post/obama-state-union-seeks-turn-page-brighter-chapter
In the first minute of his hourlong State of the Union address, President Barack Obama summed up his theme in single sentence: "Tonight, we turn the page."<p>The president then detailed a page of history filled with the financial crisis of 2008, the recession and unemployment and deficits that followed and the two distant and difficult wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.<p>It was a reminder of the ills that helped elevate young Sen. Obama to the Oval Office six years ago.Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:27:00 +0000Ron Elving82871 at http://krwg.orgObama State Of The Union Seeks To 'Turn The Page' To A Brighter ChapterObama Joins Ike, The Gipper, Bill And George II In A Club No One Wants To Be Inhttp://krwg.org/post/obama-joins-ike-gipper-bill-and-george-ii-club-no-one-wants-be
President Obama begins his seventh year in office Tuesday facing a Congress where both the House and Senate are in the hands of the opposition party. He shares this in common with <em>every other president</em> fortunate enough to even have a seventh year in office since the 1950s.<p>Dwight Eisenhower in 1959, Ronald Reagan in 1987, Bill Clinton in 1999 and George W.Tue, 20 Jan 2015 20:16:00 +0000Ron Elving82811 at http://krwg.orgObama Joins Ike, The Gipper, Bill And George II In A Club No One Wants To Be InIowa's Sen. Ernst Grabs Spotlight That's Often Proven Too Hothttp://krwg.org/post/iowas-sen-ernst-grabs-spotlight-thats-often-proven-too-hot
On the one hand, having the just-elected senator from Iowa, Joni Ernst, deliver the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address next week makes perfect sense.<p>On the other hand, you have to wonder why anyone would want the job. As often as not, the opportunity to speak right after the president does has been the kiss of death for aspiring politicians — especially in the GOP during the Obama years.<p>But let's start with the positives.Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:43:00 +0000Ron Elving82586 at http://krwg.orgIowa's Sen. Ernst Grabs Spotlight That's Often Proven Too HotWhat If Mitt And Jeb Really Do Go At It, Hammer And Tongs?http://krwg.org/post/what-if-mitt-and-jeb-really-do-go-it-hammer-and-tong
Pity the poor guys who are trying to run for president while <em>still</em> serving as governors.<p>All the media attention this week went to <em>former</em> Govs. Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush, because Romney suddenly decided to call in his chits and get back in the presidential conversation for 2016.Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:13:00 +0000Ron Elving82424 at http://krwg.orgWhat If Mitt And Jeb Really Do Go At It, Hammer And Tongs?Still Just A Bill: Why Being Senate Bill 1 Doesn't Guarantee Successhttp://krwg.org/post/still-just-bill-why-being-senate-bill-1-doesnt-guarantee-success
On his first day in his new job, freshly minted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., designated the Keystone XL pipeline bill as Senate Bill 1 --the first legislation introduced under his leadership.<p>That signaled more than just McConnell's own support for the bill. The prestige of being S-1 also conveys a sense of the priority and urgency Senate Republicans in general attach to the project, which would permit the pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border and carry crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta to the Gulf Coast.<p>But being No.Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:26:00 +0000Ron Elving82081 at http://krwg.orgStill Just A Bill: Why Being Senate Bill 1 Doesn't Guarantee Success5 Signs We're Not In Post-Partisan Paradise Yethttp://krwg.org/post/5-signs-were-not-post-partisan-paradise-yet
If you follow the latest fashions in Washington politics, you've surely noticed the new look for 2015. It's all about "showing we can govern" and putting the flamboyant partisan stylings of past years behind us.<p>Unfortunately, this week the new political season opened in Washington, and that latest theme took a pratfall as soon as it reached the runway.Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:17:27 +0000Ron Elving81931 at http://krwg.org5 Signs We're Not In Post-Partisan Paradise Yet6 Reasons Size Matters To The New GOP Majorities In Congresshttp://krwg.org/post/republican-majorities-should-give-boehner-more-breathing-room
The 114th Congress opens Tuesday with 246 Republicans taking the oath of office in the House. That's the most the GOP has sworn in since 1947, when the same number arrived for the 80th Congress intent on challenging Democratic President Harry Truman.<p>For a time, it had appeared that the new 114th majority would eclipse that of the 80th by one.Mon, 05 Jan 2015 21:23:00 +0000Ron Elving81778 at http://krwg.org6 Reasons Size Matters To The New GOP Majorities In CongressWas Cuomo Destined To Be President Or Just Political Poet Laureate?http://krwg.org/post/was-cuomo-destined-be-president-or-just-political-poet-laureate
When he died of heart failure on New Year's Day, Mario Cuomo had been out of office exactly 20 years. But his impact endured, in part because he articulated his political philosophy so powerfully while at his peak and in part because he never fulfilled the destiny many envisioned for him on the national stage.<p>The New York governor's national moment in the sun came at night, in a San Francisco convention hall.Fri, 02 Jan 2015 18:55:00 +0000Ron Elving81610 at http://krwg.orgWas Cuomo Destined To Be President Or Just Political Poet Laureate?